Reborn from the Ashes
by Girlbender875
Summary: Sequel to Children of Rebellion. With the current emperor reigning and the Skywalker family fracturing, it's up to Han and his crew to lead the crippled Rebel Alliance and match wits against an empire more powerful than ever. But as time goes on, something begins to affect the emperor, and whatever affects this ruler affects the entire galaxy... very AU.


**Rated T for dark themes. Maybe some mild language too in later chapters.**

**So it took a while (and probably will take a while to finish... sorry, school's quite time consuming these days!), but I did finally start working on the sequel to _Children of Rebellion_. **

**Please note: If you haven't read _Children of Rebellion_ you should read it first. This here is the third story of a trilogy. The order is _Imperial Child_, then _Children of Rebellion_, and then this. I hope you like those stories and this one! :)  
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**Now for my current readers, again, please note that if this story goes for a while without updates it's _not_ because I've abandoned it - I'm a double major at a research university, so my free time is very minimal (including summer classes, ick!), so I'm just busy, but I haven't forgotten my stories! Honestly, they're what keep me sane, lol. Except when I get a million plot bunnies; then they drive me _insane_.**

**Anyway, enjoy! :) (and get pumped for Easter, yippee!)  
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* * *

Alarms blared loudly. Panic was in the air. People scrambled to and fro, trying to remain organized but failing miserably as the sheer horror of the situation impacted itself on their minds. Ship engines were fired up as pilots anxiously awaited the signal to leave. Computers were smashed and information erased. Injured patients were taken in stretchers or hover-chairs. Curses and cries of dismay and despair echoed in the ears of all.

"Hurry!" a Mon Calamarian called, leading many to a nearby hangar. "We don't have much time!"

The jungle wilderness outside seemed to sense the danger approaching, rank with the stench of sweat and screeching with the noise of wild beasts fleeing in empathetic terror.

The peoples' first warning sign was the birds flying away in terror as a mechanical scream tore through the atmosphere.

"TIE fighters!"

The panic intensified and people were literally tripping over each other to get to their ships in time as bombers dropped their payload over the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Explosions rocked the temple serving as the base, knocking most to the ground.

Over the jungle moon was an entire armada. On the flagship, the _Enforcer_, stood a slender figure in the white uniform of a grand admiral.

"Grand admiral, the Rebels are in possession of a planet-based ion cannon," an officer reported.

The newly promoted Grand Adm. Crimson Reivilo stared straight ahead, unperturbed. "Alert the bomber squadrons. The ion cannon is their primary target."

"Yes, ma'am."

The strong willed woman folded her arms and walked to the front of the bridge, scrutinizing the moon with her piercing blue eyes. All around her, Imperial officers walked to and fro calmly, some issuing orders and others receiving them. Everyone remained collected and in control.

"Grand Adm. Reivilo, the bombers have destroyed their primary target," the captain of the ship notified her.

"Tell them to fall back," the grand admiral ordered in a firm tone. "All squadrons are to return to their respective Star Destroyers. Then position Killer Squadron to either side of Nova Squadron. As soon as the air is clear, commence an orbital bombardment of the Rebel base. Killer Squadron will eliminate any Rebel capital ships attempting to escape. Smaller ships will be destroyed with our fighters."

On the moon below, the panic and chaos continued as many attempted to escape. They spent so much time destroying their technology and hiding their codes and information, but they never even realized.

The Imperial armada was only there for one thing: total extermination.

* * *

"My, they do their objective rather quickly."

"Well, this is _our_ admiral we're talking about."

Three people sat talking in a hospital room. One stood at the double-door entrance to the room in a black security officer's uniform. She was about average height, standing casually with her blonde hair pulled in a bun. The second, a handsome pale man who was slightly younger than the woman, sat by the hospital bed, one leg crossed as he lounged in the seat. The third, another blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, sat in the bed, an IV in her right hand and monitors on her chest peeking out beneath her hospital gown. The three seemed fairly relaxed and were discussing something as they would a routine event.

"So I suppose that leaves most of the Rebel forces in complete disarray," the security officer blew out a sigh. "I never would have believed it… to think that we would be at this point. I would have thought it impossible a year ago."

The man smirked. "Crimson Reivilo always knows how to get the job done, and with our new emperor, the Rebels will be completely eliminated."

The security officer leaned against the door, looking away. "Yes… our new emperor…"

"Something wrong?" the patient asked.

"No, of course not," Lt. Leoni Jir answered. "It's just so odd… I would have never imagined my friend to be emperor. I suppose I'll never really be able to address him or talk to him the same way again."

All three were silent before Leoni looked at the man in the seat. "But never mind me… what about you two? Grand Adm. Reivilo gave you two months off."

The man huffed. "I know. Try not to remind me."

"If I recall, it was actually an _order_ that we take two months off…" the patient, Capt. Azir Hawk Mustang, sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do for that amount of time."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Leoni said.

The man, Capt. Ryu Mustang, slipped his hand into his wife's hand and then looked at Leoni. "We could use a favor, if you don't mind."

Leoni gave a gentle smile. "I don't mind at all, sir."

"Would you arrange transport to Nihoma for us?"

Leoni blinked, startled. "But—sir, your wife—Capt. Hawk-Mustang hasn't recovered fully!"

"I understand that," Capt. Mustang nodded. "I don't mean for now… I just… Capt. Hawk-Mustang will be discharged in a week. We need you to arrange transportation to Nihoma for us the day she is released."

"Forgive me for asking, sir, but shouldn't you _both_ be resting?" Leoni queried.

Capt. Hawk-Mustang offered a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine, Leoni. We have to go to Nihoma."

"Why do you _have_ to go?"

"For the funeral," Capt. Mustang snapped, barking the words out. His wife closed her eyes slowly, not saying anything.

Leoni stood still, watching the couple. They had lost their unborn child when Capt. Hawk-Mustang had been badly injured in a battle that had taken place barely two weeks ago. Leoni had helped Capt. Mustang handle the terrible ordeal, calming him when he finally broke down. Since then, the Mustangs and Leoni had been getting along well, despite their slightly formal manner of speaking to her. Leoni had simply learned that they, Capt. Mustang in particular, weren't the sort to be very casual.

Giving a salute, Leoni said, "Of course, sir."

Exiting the room, Leoni walked out of the medical wing of the Death Star and went to one of the officers in charge of the hangar bays. After making the appropriate arrangements, Leoni found herself with nothing to do as she was off duty at the moment. Sighing heavily, Leoni keyed in the frequency for a boy that she had befriended in her time there. After all, it was because of this boy that she had reunited with her dear friend Breifin Tron.

Breifin… to think that he was emperor now… of course, no one called him Emperor Tron. Breifin Tron was his real name, yes, but he didn't go by it. His public name was Nydo Morlev, and so that was how everyone knew him.

Sighing, Leoni awaited the response from Druk Yularen, the one who had met Breifin before Leoni was aware of his presence on the Death Star, and then had inadvertently reunited the two.

"Hello?" Druk answered.

"Hey, Druk, it's Leoni," Leoni said. "I could really use a drink right now."

Druk laughed. "All right; I get off duty in half an hour. I'll meet you at the Hard Heart Cantina, then?"

Leoni smiled. "Sure."

Cutting the connection, Leoni looked out the window. Her husband, Capt. Daine Jir, had been part of an armada that had successfully destroyed the Rebel base and her best friend was the emperor. She should feel happier than this…

But for some reason, she didn't.

* * *

The city of Jelwick was a bustling capital. It held many things, including cantinas in the heart of the city. There was a whole row of cantinas and night clubs down one street. From this street there came a roar, and then a man was thrown out of one of the cantinas.

"Well that's a nice way to treat your customers!" the man yelled before spitting at the closed door.

In the alley beside the cantina was a tall Wookiee awaiting the man's arrival. The man glared at the Wookiee. "What do you want?"

Chewbacca sighed. His companion, Han Solo, was drunk. Again. Growling, he told Han that they had to get back to the _Millennium Falcon_.

"No, I'm not done yet!" Han slurred, stumbling towards the next cantina.

Chewbacca followed him, reminding him that he had already been kicked out of the cantina he was heading towards. Han paused, contemplating the Wookiee's words, and then laughed. "Hey, you're right. I'm done with _that_ joint. What about the next one, then?"

Growing impatient, Chewbacca grabbed the back of Han's shirt, snapping at him. Han shrugged. "I don't care if I've been bumming around for two weeks. It feels _great_. Hey, you haven't turned Golden Rod back on, have you?"

Chewbacca shook his head. Han was hopeless. Ever since they had found out that the Rebel siege they were supposed to be aiding had failed miserably, Han had blamed himself and had gotten drunk. The situation only grew worse when they heard the news that Emperor Palpatine had been assassinated, supposedly by Rebels, and then had been replaced by "Nydo Morlev"… who was Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker! He had _betrayed_ them!

Chewbacca certainly hoped that Skywalker had ended up emperor because it was according to some new Rebel plan. If not, he was about ready to pull the man's _head_ off. To show such disloyalty… it made Chewbacca's blood boil.

Han hiccupped, snapping Chewbacca out of his thoughts. He had to worry about Han right now; the idiot had been roaring drunk ever since the failed battle, and the one time he was actually sober and _willing_ to leave and try to return to the Rebel base, they found out that it had been completely annihilated by an Imperial armada.

So Han drank some more.

Chewbacca understood Han's guilt. He felt the same way; after all, if the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive hadn't stalled, they would have been helping in that battle. Still, there was nothing they could do to change it, and bumming around in Jelwick would not help the Rebels now. If only Chewbacca could make _Han_ understand that, but the man was too plastered.

So Chewbacca just dragged him away from the street.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Han bellowed, flailing to get out of the Wookiee's grip. "Let go you big fur ball!"

Chewbacca ignored him.

Han spent the entire time kicking and screaming to be let go until Chewbacca finally dragged him aboard the _Millennium Falcon_. Chewbacca turned the golden protocol droid C-3PO, who up until this point had been off since the hyperdrive had first stalled, back on.

C-3PO's eyes sparked and then glowed golden as he activated. "Oh, dear. What happened? Whatever is the matter with Capt. Solo?"

Chewbacca ordered Threepio to watch Han.

"What?" the droid blubbered. "I cannot watch him! I am a protocol droid, not a babysitter!"

Chewbacca growled harshly in Shyriiwook.

"I beg your pardon! It isn't necessary to use such language—"

Interrupting the droid, Chewbacca told Threepio to make sure Han didn't do anything stupid and then stormed to the cockpit. They were going to find the Alliance forces one way or another.

* * *

He was here. He was finally here.

Chuckling, Anakin settled more comfortably into his throne. The Empire was his. _He was emperor._ At last, he could eliminate the Rebels once and for all. At last, he could bring peace to his Empire.

And he had his family with him.

Well, actually, they were in the prison of the palace, but that would be remedied once he had convinced them to his side. After all, if he released them now, they would just return to the Rebels, and he couldn't have that; they would get killed if they got involved with the Alliance again, and Anakin did _not_ want that to happen.

Sighing, Anakin crossed his legs and thought about his family. He wasn't quite sure why he had spared his mother considering she had never been there for him, but he supposed it was because he was even _acknowledging_ her as his mother. As for his children, well, they were now heirs to the throne.

Oh, that would be interesting to explain in their current state of mine. He could imagine they were confused right now, and probably a little angry, too. He wouldn't know. He hadn't seen any of them since _before_ the battles began… when he was still a Rebel.

It wasn't fear. No, no, of _course_ it wasn't that. Why would he be afraid of facing his own family? He just needed to give them some time, that was all… they just needed to think things over. In the meantime, he could transfer the rest of the captured Rebels over to a prison facility.

Anakin ordered just that, and it was to be done.

Oh, how he loved this power! He only needed to snap his fingers and anything would be done for him. He asked for a report on the siege at Yavin 4, and he immediately received it. He asked the guards to show someone in who wished to have an audience with him, and it was done.

He still couldn't get over the wording—_wished to have an audience with him_! They couldn't simply walk in, oh no, they had to want, to _wish_, to simply be in his _presence_, and they had to ask for _permission _to do so!

Anakin laughed, rising to his feet and pacing around the throne room. Being emperor was amazing!

Even _becoming_ emperor had been such a thrilling feeling. He had felt Palpatine's life force fade away as the man had been on his knees before Anakin, _Anakin Skywalker_, who was _finally_ the victor after so many years of bowing to Palpatine! If only Ceddge could see him now!

Anakin paused. He had murdered Ceddge. Right now, Ceddge… would he have been on Anakin's side, ready to help him? Probably not… after all, before Anakin had gotten involved with the Rebels, they had been planning to kill the emperor so _Ceddge_ would become emperor, and Anakin would take the reigns on the military. No, Anakin supposed Ceddge wouldn't approve of being second best, not when he had been that way his entire time as a Sith Lord.

Nevertheless, Anakin still missed him.

Sighing, Anakin sat once more on his throne and there was a chime from a comlink attached to a console by the throne. Anakin activated it with a lazy wave of his hand, not even bothering to reach for the button. "What is it?"

"Your Imperial Majesty, it appears your astromech droid wants to have an audience with you."

Furrowing his brow in confusion and concern, Anakin said, "Send him in."

The large doors leading into the throne room opened, revealing a small white and blue R2-series astromech droid. R2-D2 rolled in, stopping in front of the small set of stairs that led to Anakin's throne. The doors closed behind the droid.

"What's up, buddy?" Anakin asked, plopping himself on the stairs in front of Artoo.

Artoo beeped a query. Anakin laughed. "You know, that _is_ a good question. I haven't had time to fix those thrusters of yours, have I? I'll get to it as soon as—"

The doors to the throne room opened and a woman in the fine attire of court announced, "Grand Adm. Crimson Reivilo wishes to speak with you, Your Imperial Majesty."

"Show her in, Nevía," Anakin stood, motioning for Artoo to roll to the side rather than be in the middle. Artoo tweeted sadly, and Anakin whispered to him, "Don't worry, Artoo; I promise I'll fix them."

Nevía curtseyed deeply and she exited the room just as Crimson Reivilo entered in her formal attire.

The strong woman saluted Anakin and waited to be acknowledged by him. Anakin stood for a moment, letting her stand there with her head bowed in submission. It wasn't a posture that fit her, he quickly decided, and so he said, "At ease, Grand Adm. Reivilo."

Reivilo took a more commanding stance rather than a passive one, but that was just in her nature, so it didn't bother Anakin. Her intense icy eyes held irritation in them, and her jaw was set tightly.

"Congratulations on your victory at Yavin 4," Anakin crossed his arms with a smirk. "Was it satisfying?"

"It was my duty, sir," Grand Adm. Reivilo replied. "That is satisfying enough."

"You don't seem very happy," Anakin noted.

"All the Rebels at that location have been annihilated, Your Imperial Majesty," Grand Adm. Reivilo. "However, there are some still out there from the battle at the Death Star. As Your Imperial Majesty said at that very battle, Rebels always manage to crawl back like insects. We won't be rid of their threat to the Empire until they have all been eliminated."

"I understand your concern," Anakin walked down the stairs to stand right in front of the grand admiral. "And I wouldn't worry about it much longer. You see, we'll lure these Rebels out. I already have a plan in motion."

"May I ask what Your Imperial Majesty's plan is?" Grand Adm. Reivilo queried, her eyebrow lifted in interest.

"Of course," Anakin nodded, his smirk returning. He then began to pace around the room as he thought aloud. "We have eighty-four prisoners from the battle, grand admiral. Of these eighty-four prisoners, about twenty-six are of actual use to the Empire, while the rest are inconsequential. Since they are Rebels, they will be sent to a prison facility on Agon 9, ever so close to the pinnacle of their failures. We will allow this information to be coded, but not enough to where the remaining Rebel forces cannot overhear it. This, in turn, will attract the Rebels to Agon 9; after all, their numbers are so insignificant now that they couldn't attack anything but a small penal colony, and they'll need all the men they can get, so the prisoners will be too appealing to toss up. In the meantime, we'll interrogate our important prisoners here in the palace and then execute the leaders. No matter how viral the Alliance is, they will still be harmless without central leadership."

Grand Adm. Reivilo folded her arms, focusing on nothing in particular as she thought over what Anakin had said. "It seems to be a sound plan, Your Imperial Majesty. However, do you expect the Imperial forces on Agon 9 to exterminate the remaining Rebels, or are you going to have a fleet waiting? If you have a fleet, the Rebels will know it's a trap, but if you let the forces already on the planet handle the situation, the Rebels may yet win that battle."

"It's a risky decision," Anakin acknowledged. "But it's our best one; I know from experience that scouring the galaxy for them won't do us any good."

Reivilo nodded in affirmation. "True… when are these transfers to take place?"

"Tonight," Anakin answered. "Interrogations are already being done as we speak. I intend to personally interrogate a few of the prisoners, but I doubt I'll get to it today."

The grand admiral raised a slender eyebrow. "Your Imperial Majesty won't be interrogating them today?"

Anakin shrugged. "Too much paperwork, I'm afraid. There are unfortunate parts of being emperor, you know."

"What are Your Imperial Majesty's orders for me, then?"

Sighing heavily, Anakin suddenly felt tired. "I'm afraid it's Kashyyyk again."

"Kashyyyk? What have they done this time?" Grand Adm. Reivilo sounded surprised.

"Another uprising," Anakin shook his head. "I've discovered that Wookiees have this amazing tendency to be insanely stubborn to the point of stupidity. At this point, I think they're just being suicidal; there's nothing else their uprisings will do."

"Their uprisings will be publicized," Grand Adm. Reivilo said. "And the public will see that there are still those who are fighting against the Empire despite the Rebel Alliance being in shambles. It will give encouragement to other such distasteful displays, and the filth of this galaxy will think of it as an invitation to do the same as well."

"I'm having someone ensure that the Wookiee uprising is not made known publicly," Anakin quickly shook his head. "If that is the Wookiees' only purpose to their uprising, then their deaths will be entirely in vain. They are such an incredible people; I really hate to watch them get themselves exterminated. Unfortunately, nothing can be done on the matter. I know the job I'm giving you is something an admiral could handle, but… well, let's just say, this needs to be the last uprising."

"I understand entirely," Grand Adm. Reivilo nodded and turned to leave before suddenly pausing. "Your Imperial Majesty, if you wish to permanently end these uprisings, why not use the Death Star?"

"No," Anakin immediately barked. "I'll not have that abomination get anywhere near my planets."

Interested in his reaction, Reivilo asked, "What's your intent with the Death Star, then?"

"Personally, I would love to see it disassembled," Anakin muttered darkly. "However, the station is already built and can come to other uses. That shouldn't concern you, though, grand admiral. Just take care of the Wookiees."

"Of course," the grand admiral said before saluting and leaving the throne room.

Anakin slowly walked to the stairs in front of the throne and sat on them, leaning on his elbows. Those poor foolish Wookiees; now that Anakin had given the assignment to Reivilo, there was no chance of Kashyyyk being in one piece again. That planet would be burnt and pillaged until it was unrecognizable for at least a handful of centuries. The mighty Wookiee race would fall.

Feeling disgusted, Anakin imagined that Palpatine would be happy with that.

Shaking his head, Anakin moaned. No, he wasn't going to be like Palpatine. His Empire would be an Empire with no conflicts; the Rebels would be properly taken care of, and the citizens would have no reason to be hostile towards the government. Anakin's Empire would be prosperous.

Artoo's somewhat impatient beeping interrupted Anakin's musings, making him jump as he remembered that the droid was still waiting for Anakin to fix its rocket thrusters that were stored in its legs.

"Sorry buddy," Anakin chuckled. "I got caught up in stuff, that's all. I guess I'll be saying that a lot now that I'm emperor. I'll be a lot busier than I used to be."

Anakin crouched by Artoo, fixing something here, adjusting something there. His hands worked automatically without much thought needing to be done since the work was so routine. He'd had Artoo since he was eighteen. At this point in all the circles of people around Anakin, Artoo was the one who had been with him the longest.

"What do you think it's going to be like, Artoo?" Anakin asked as he worked. "Do you think I'll have time to do my own personal interests as well as the duties of my Empire? Personally, I'd like to be the one to execute the Alliance officers. It's too bad that I couldn't kill the Alliance council, but Reivilo had to do that while I remained here. I've been so busy already, Artoo; one senate session after another, one issue after another.

"Really, I think I should just disband the senate. The only reason why Palpatine kept it was to keep an eye on his enemies, but I'm not like that; if I have enemies, I'll kill them, not just _keep an eye on them_. Palpatine was too lenient in his manner of handling enemies; he would gather them into a cesspool of traitors and backstabbers so they would in turn attract more of their kind and reveal more of them to Palpatine, but that wastes too much time. It allows them to grow."

Shaking his head in disapproval over Palpatine's methods, Anakin pondered on his own methods for handling these vermin. Anakin was far more cut and dry; he supposed that was the assassin in him. He didn't wait for his prey to leave his sight; he killed it the moment it was in view.

Artoo tootled a question that made Anakin accidentally cut his hand. Hissing in pain, Anakin grumbled, "No, Artoo, I'm not going to release the others… not until I've talked to them."

Artoo asked when Anakin was going to talk to them.

"Soon," Anakin insisted, standing and stemming the bleeding with his sleeve. "I'll talk to them soon."

* * *

**lol, Emperor Tron. All I can think of is the Disney movie (original, not sequel; haven't seen it...). YIKES - I predicted Disney buying Star Wars! O.o *flees the evil Mickey Mouse laughter*  
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**Wow, it's a sad day when I amuse myself like this. -_- Anyway, if you'd like, I would appreciate reviews. :) **

**Now back to homework, haha... I have no life, ugh.**


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